Run label compensation only when its original effect is confirmed
A cancellation request races label issuance and attempts to void a label that may not exist yet.
- Focused work estimate
- 3h 30m + prerequisites
- Priority in the scenario
- Medium
- Engineering practice
- Compensation · Concurrency
Estimated field mix
- Distributed systems60%
- Integrations40%
Field percentages are editorial estimates of the ticket's engineering focus. They total 100%; they are not measured time, proficiency scores, or ownership evidence.
Pattern topics
- SagaApply
Compensate only the confirmed label generation when cancellation races issuance; preserve uncertainty instead of treating a lost response as a failed effect.
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Project context
A fictional equipment-rental service approves returns through several provider calls. Partial failures leave labels issued without inspections or refunds reported before provider confirmation.
Setup prerequisites
- Create synthetic return records and fake inspection, shipping and refund adapters.
- Use integer money values and no real payments or messages.
Preceding work
Complete these dependencies, or supply their agreed outputs before taking this ticket.
- ASAGA-101 · Model return workflow steps as durable facts with explicit pending states
- ASAGA-102 · Define stable provider command keys for each return step
- ASAGA-103 · Write the compensation table for return side effects
- ASAGA-104 · Persist return progress and next-step dispatch atomically
- ASAGA-105 · Reconcile shipping acceptance before issuing a replacement label
Acceptance criteria
- Persist cancellation intent independently of provider completion.
- Compensate only the confirmed current label generation.
- Keep failed or unknown compensation visible for retry.
Implementation constraints
- Never mark a return fully cancelled solely because a compensation request was sent.
Verification to include
- Cancel after confirmed issuance and record confirmed voiding.
- Cancel during unknown issuance and wait for reconciliation before compensation.
Deliverables
- Cancellation/compensation state transitions
Rollout and recovery
Canary cancellation on fake providers; retain unresolved operations for bounded reconciliation.
Value of the work
For the engineer: Practice durable workflow state, compensation and uncertain outcomes.
For the team: Review recoverable business operations without assuming distributed transactions.
Evidence boundaries
Outcome Evidence: Tests, patches, and runbooks are requested deliverables. They become Outcome Evidence only through a qualified Mission and immutable Evidence IDs.
Ownership Evidence: Independent adaptation must be observed under a declared verification policy and cite immutable Evidence IDs. Completing a planning ticket establishes no Ownership Evidence.